The Shakespeare Birthday Party

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In this podcast we will read and discuss all of William Shakespeare’s plays over the course of a year, starting and ending on the Bard’s birthday. Together we’ll explore the big questions the plays put on the table and the poetry that makes those question

Danny and Grace Fitzpatrick


    • Oct 16, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 32m AVG DURATION
    • 27 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Shakespeare Birthday Party

    King John

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2024 37:19


    In which Grace and Danny discuss grief, weak leadership, and how three lions are not necessarily better than none.

    Love's Labor's Lost

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2024 37:19


    In which Grace and Danny discuss Ken Branagh, the good of knowing the end before you've begun, and the education of women's eyes.

    King Lear

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2022 42:36


    In which Grace and Danny discuss prodigal fathers, Lady Fortune, and total, abject misery.

    The Comedy of Errors

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2022 20:48


    In which Grace and Danny talk marriage, twins, and sacramental grace.

    Richard II

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2022 27:15


    In which Grace and Danny discuss divine right of kings, betrayal, and the crusades.

    Cymbeline

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2022 15:53


    Measure for Measure

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2022 19:09


    In which Grace and Danny discuss the Divine Comedy and Blackadder's Russian codpiece—always terrifies the clergy, as Enid—I mean, Edmund—says!

    All's Well That Ends Well

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2022 37:28


    In which Grace and Danny discuss Cole Porter, Newland Archer (The Age of Innocence) [Edith Wharton], and Jeeves and Wooster. As one does.

    Henry VI, 1-3!

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2022 29:53


    It's a special triple episode following the ignominious and scholarly demise of Henry VI.

    Coriolanus

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2022 38:39


    In which Grace and Danny discuss the tripartite soul, Ralph Fiennes' hair, and the loneliness of dragons.

    Henry V

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 36:51


    In which Grace and Danny discuss honor, tax evasion, strange wooing, and the dogs of war.

    Twelfth Night

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2022 21:35


    In which Grace and Danny discuss bears, Dwight Schrute, and the journey of the Magi.

    The Taming of the Shrew

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2022 30:46


    In which Grace and Danny discuss Christopher Sly, Jacob and Laban, and the resonance of names.

    Macbeth

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2021 51:14


    In which Grace and Danny talk marriage, prophecy, covenants, and thanes.

    Romeo and Juliet

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2021 36:50


    In which Grace and Danny discuss the Fall, plague, the Michael Scott story (what did Jan say?), and the founding of Rome.

    Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2021 30:33


    Double episode! In which Grace and Danny discuss honor, John Lithgow, and the glory of Rome.

    The Merry Wives of Windsor

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2021 22:26


    In which Grace and Danny discuss the exotic power of the potato, the origins of Bilbo, and the lovable reprobates of literature.

    Henry IV, Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2021 18:18


    In which Grace and I revisit Falstaff, consider the merits of Hal, and delight in Mistress Quickly.

    Henry IV, Part One

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2021 25:32


    In which Grace and Danny discuss monarchs, wastrel sons, philosopher reprobates, and Baloo the Bear.

    A Midsummer Night's Dream

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2021 41:49


    In which Grace and Danny discuss true love, Rene Girard, literary walkoffs (Zoolander style), and big Geoff Chaucer.

    Pericles

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2021 26:42


    In which Grace and Danny delve into bordellos, the world's worst luck, piracy (two kinds), and Pixar.

    The Merchant of Venice

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2021 49:43


    In which Grace and I discuss justice, mercy, practical jokes, usury, and Al Pacino.

    Richard III

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2021 29:56


    In which Grace and I discuss the strangeness of the boar: his methods of seduction, his overweening (and overwhelming) pride, and his complete disregard for eternity.

    Othello

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2021 48:49


    In which predictive text tries to change Othello to or hello, a far cheerier and less informative title, and in which Grace and I marvel at the mischief of Iago.

    Much Ado About Nothing

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2021 37:40


    In which Grace and I discuss the dancing, war, the prodigal son, puns, and the ineptitude of Count Claudio. 

    The Tempest

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2021 49:35


    Wherein Grace and I discuss art, beauty, bravery, and freedom, not to mention Disney princesses, stuttering aesthetes, and fish.

    The Shakespeare Birthday Party: The Pregame

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2021 12:16


    Happy birthday, William Shakespeare! Today we introduce Danny and Grace and talk a little bit about Shakespeare's importance to us and the plan for the show. Enjoy!

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